This invention relates to a technique for transmitting and receiving electronic program guide (EPG) data and, more particularly, to such a technique which permits a user to view, readily understand and select a desired one of several programs, such as television programs, that presently are being transmitted and that will be transmitted to the user's receiving apparatus.
Electronic program guides have been proposed wherein information, known as EPG data, representing different television programs that may be received by a user is transmitted over the same medium that is used to transmit the television programs themselves. For example, recently introduced satellite transmission systems, commercially available as Direct Satellite Broadcast Systems (DSS), provide a user with the ability to selectively receive one of a multiple of different broadcast channels, each of which has different television programming transmitted thereover. Typically, the user subscribes to a DSS provider and, depending upon the user's selection, different broadcast channels may be received from that provider. Some of these broadcast channels are used to transit what has become known as "premium" television programming; and depending upon subscription rates, subscription plans, and the like, a user may receive such premium television programming as well as special events, first-run movies, and the like. For example, with a single satellite dish receiver, a DSS subscriber presently may receive on the order of about 80 broadcast channels, each providing different television programming, movies, special events. etc.
EPG data systems have been proposed, wherein EPG data relating to each of the programs that may be transmitted on each of the broadcast channels for a period of time (for example, television program information for the next hour, several hours, days, weeks, etc.) are transmitted. The EPG data may be transmitted in-band (on the same broadcast channel as the program) or out-of-band (on a separate broadcast channel not normally used to carry programs). Such EPG data heretofore has been in the form of text data only, thereby providing the user with an EPG display of those television programs that are transmitted on respective broadcast channels for a given period of time. Once provided with this television program information, the user then may tune his television receiving apparatus to a desired broadcast channel at the proper time so as to receive the selected program. Often, a user may not readily appreciate the content of a particular television program simply from its displayed title. Also, a user may need more information, other than a simple title, to fully appreciate the type of television programs that are available in order to make an informed selection.